Bathtub construction



Nov. 2, 1943. Ay Ei PLANTE 2,333,491

BATHTUB GoNsTRUcTioN A y Filed June 25, 1942 WW MM Arme/vnf 2 sheets-*sheet 1 v A. E. PLANTE 'BATHTUB CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 25; 1942 Nov. 2, 1943.

mfg. mm m .M m f A Patented Nov. 2, 1943 UNITED STA'FEJZS BATHTUB. CoNsfTiitfIGioN Archienlante; Oakland, calife Application June 25, 1942,.'s`enial Noi-.418,3`5L6.

(oli 42117-3;-

6 Claims:

Thisinvention relates tobathtub constructions and is concerned more particularly: With the pro,- vision of. an. improved form of bathtub; installa'f tion havingra minimum of.critical; materials; re;-` quired. in itsV construction. and; installation'.

Itis:ageneralobjectof the invention, to pro;- vide a bathtubl construction. whichl can; begfcone structed of non-critical material such asf con;- orete, tile, and thelike, by-useaof a pre-castor pre-fabricated sectional frame of .some suitable material suchas concrete, so that the'tubframe can; be assembled on the job and subsequently covered with.` a suitable iinishing material such tile, terrazo, plastics, or the like.

Another object of the inventionA is toprovide a; bathtub of the above character Which. can'.` be installed.V in any desired locationin a bathroom, either-recessed, or exposed, and WithI either a right-hand. or lefthand outlet.

Another object of the invention is tolprovide a bathtub construction. of thev above character which. isof a sectional construction to allow portability of thediierentsectionsandassemf bling onthe job.

Other objects and advantages ofthe invention WillT be apparent from the followingv description .f

of certain; preferred embodiments. thereof; as illustratedy in the accompanying drawings, in Which:

Figure l1 is a plan" View of a bathtub. con.- s-tnicted inA accordance with the instantinvene tion. and` installed in a. recess. TheI left-:hand portion of the Viewis shown With the-'tile' applied, while the right hand portion shows thes cast frame of. the tubbefore application of.r the tile.

Subsequentlithe; iframe isicovere'd with; a; suitf able-lining which-is senvceable.for-bathtub; uses, as. Well; as providing am;,attraotive=` and? pleasing appearance. @tenerallyy-.thei material@ used: for .prefcastingor p refabricationf of! thee.- sectional frame-may; take the?formiofrconcreteterraecottafs FigureZis a siole-t elevational view of the case frame of the tub asassembled ready-for appli;- cation of the tile.

Figure 3 is atransverse sectional view taken a's-.indicated by the line 3'-31in.Figure 1`.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan-View of thetub as'. indicated by the1line 8-8:in.Figure 7.y

Ascstated' above,` the instant invention; is con.- cerned with the provision of a=bathtub construe.'- tion using a minimum of'critical material, such as-metaL and which enables. satisfactory,. eco..- nomical manufacture and installation of the bathtub; construction. Generallythe invention contemplates provisionf ofA a pre-castor, pre;- fabricated, sectional frame which is assembled brick; hollow.- tileg-, pstiosy glassandl the: like, iQ-mile the covering; 0am berof; suitableflining man terialx suoli'. as; tile;` glass; tile on brick. terrazo, metal.- tile-,g plastic.; or marblef asweill as certain composition1 materia-lm knowm as, wooda stone? or magnesite.-? f

Referring;y to, Figures.; 1; to, 3.-.' the; pre-cast. or pre-fabricated frame of the bathtubi has been .illustratedas-.it would be ymadeyof'concretar The framefincludesfa panfshapedwasei mi having one vupr-igjrit end Wall; I lg; and opposite; side-'wa1lsi l2 withi \l,shaped grooves :inl their, upper: faces@ The other endvvall iisxinciinedrandis similarly; pro-,t vided with a- V-'sha-pedi grooyeg along-f` its; upper edge. Asuitabladrain outlet-opening lzdxisrproivided; mythe base` me.' The,l p ,aneshapeell base eiicient-lyl prevents any; lea-kt around the` bot;

vum` of the tubg Whichmightl. take; nlacefvfmm .Seepalgl The-:upper portionI of thee frame vstnucture is made.` of," a plurality; ofi separate complementary sections; The; sections include ar, Vfl-shaped: ver: tical sect-ionprfend piecefl; having` the'iovfefrqw drain outlet; Igi thereimi resneetivef interohangeableside, Wall sections, I-l, and an end. section i3;v having,1 side,- Walls extending@v to; thefendrof base Inland ari-inclined andourved, endwall; VIl) terminating inafflat.r topi wall 2lb; Thamating able form: of bonding; or -,oenientinfnmaterial-v is employed# between: the; matingf faces; of: the: Seotiontof-bindt tha sections etoeether.vv andtp-rov-ide a Water-tight jpintl.- If. desired, metalities suohf as indicated at; 25h'. may' be: employeeh to'holdl vthe sections; infplace while, theajointsf are-,- hardening.

Preferably the various-7 section-s* are shaped. to

l conform. to-y the`- usuali shape). and' anpearanea of ag bathtubg-withtwall'. b9: being; concave inwardly to plvicle-mbaoko nest and-i Witheanginclinedwall 2v2;4 around-the inner'corneat of thabasa Ilztomeloeiver theA rounded: corner` tile; pieces.l as.l willi be deslbedw i l Asfseenfini Eigure: 1 the tubJ hasbeen installed inl a f recessf andel it; is; S661? that; the: structure, is

on..thefV job by.` bonding the sections together.

reversible to; provide.- eithen airtight1 hand'. or a left hand! outlet in suGhfins-tallation.,

- Toyen'a'ble; selective employment of'. theftib l in `either f ai recess.. or,- with.. anl exposed` cornerffiir 'middle lsection 31.

the tub frame. The upper surface of each cornery of top wall 20 has a score line in the form of `.an

arcuate V-shaped groove 23 (Fig. 1). Each side Wall of section I8 is provided with opposed vertical V-shaped grooves 24 which are in alignment like as also explained in the preceding description.

1 claim:

1. A bathtub construction comprising a frame made up of cast sections capable of assembly to provide Va tub, the mating edges of said sections being formed in complementary overlapping with an end of the adjacent groove 23. The end of wall 20 also has vertical V-grooves 24 aligned.

with adjacent ends of arcuate score lines 23. The base or pan I is provided with vertical grooves 25 aligned with grooves 24. Thus where a corner of the tub is to be exposed as seen in Figure 4 forexample, the V-shaped scores or grooves 23, 24, and 25, provided lines of fracture for breaking off of the top and the side walls of the end piece I8 so that a desired'radius may be provided at a selected corner. To fit this radius and-provide a vertical end wall of the tub, a specially formedor pre-cast end wall 26 is provided with one end arcuate to conform to either arcuate score line. The curved end of Wall 26 is adapted to butt flush against the adjacent side wall Aof the end piece I8, and the straight end is adapted to butt against the side of the opposite wall of end piece I8. An L-shaped overlap 21 is provided-between end wall 26 and` top wall 20. One end of the end wall 26 is curved to conform to the radius of the V-grooves 24 so that when installed and bonded in place, wall 26 provides a suitable base for the application of tile or other covering over the exposed end of the tub.

After the sections of the frame have been bonded together, the tile is applied in the usual manner vas illustrated in Figures 1 and 3. As shown particularly in Figure 3, a suitable coating 'of cement or bonding material of any desired character is placed over the frame of the tub as indicated at 29 and the tile coating as indicated at l3| is applied in the usual manner. The construction is preferably dimensioned so that conventional forms of tile can be employed. Also the Adimensions of the tub Aand the tile are pref-v 'erably such that either ordinary cement can be -employed as shown in Fig. 3, or a very thin layer of mastic cement can be used. In the latter case, 'the only changes in tiling required are a narrow itop or cap tile, and the use of wider joints be- `tween the tile in the bottom of the tub.

I'he resulting bathtub is attractive in appearance, and is serviceable for bath uses. The sectional construction provides for ready transportation and enables easy assembly on the job. -The sectional construction of the frame also adapts itself to transportation of castings such as concrete castings without liability of breakage and with minimum storage and handling charges.

vFigures 6 and 8 illustrate a modified construction in which the bathtub frame is made up of three sections, 36, 31 and 38 providing the two -ends and middle sections. End section 36 is provided with a bottom drain outlet 39 and the over- -flow drain outlet 40. At their mating edges the 'sections are provided with suitable overlapping joints, as indicated at 4I. The middle section 31 may be provided if desired With removable top wall sections 42 which as seen in Figures '1 and 8, each having a V-shaped bottom complementary to the shape of the adjacent wall of the Theframe shown in Figures 6 to 8 is assembled with the various sections bound together as described in connection with the first modification, and after assembly is covered with a suitable material such as tile or the fashion ,and being joined by a bonding material, said frame having square corners, the corners at-one-end of the frame having score lines to provide for optional breaking off of said corners at said one end when one of said end corners isto be exposed upon installation.

2. A bathtub frame construction including a pan-like base having a bottom. wall and respectivev end and.v side walls formed integrally therewith,' a1plurality of wall sections mounted on said' base tocontinuev the wall portions of said base, Athe mating faces of said wall sections with each other'and with said base providing overlapping joints, and bonding material joining said respective mating faces.

'3. A bathtub frame construction including a pan-like base having a'. bottom wall and respective end and' side walls formed integrally therewith, a plurality of Wall sections mounted on said base to continue the Wall portions of said base, the mating faces of said wall sections with each other and with said base providing overlapping joints. and bonding material joining said respective mating faces, one end wall section having score lines at each outer corner to indicate lines of fracture, whereby either ofthe outer corners may be formed to provide an exposed tub corner.

a V4. A bathtubframe construction including a pan-like base havinga bottom wall and respective end and side walls formed integrally therewith, a plurality of wall sections' mounted on said base to. continue the wall portions of said base, the mating faces of said wall sections with eachother and with said base providing overlapping joints, and bonding material joining said respective mating faces, one end wall section being formed with an inclined end wall portion ljoining. with a ilat top `wall portion at its upper end, and vertical side wall portions connecting .to said inclined and top wall portions to provide `a recess at the ,end of said end wall section, similar score lines formed across the corners of said top wall portion t0 indicate a cutaway corner, vertical score lines formed in said side wall portions and in said base side walls in alignment with the ends of said corner score lines, and a reversible end wall for said frame construction having one-end for mating with an unbroken side Wall portion and its other end formed to correspond to said vcorner score lines.

5. A cast bathtub frame having square corners for fitting into a recessed bathtub installation, one end of said frame having its top and side .walls scored .at each corner to indicate a cutaway corner outline for either right-hand or left-hand corner exposedinstallations.

6. A cast bathtub frame having square corners for fitting into a recessed bathtub installation, one end of said frame being recessed to provide van inclined end wall and having its top and side walls scoredl at each corner to indicate a cutaway corner outline for either right-hand or lefthand corner exposed installations, and a reversible end wall for use with said frame in exposed installations, said-end wall having one end conforming to said corner outline.

`ARCI-IIE. E. PLANTE. ,i 

